Math Colloquium: Tim Pennings

A standard calculus problem is to find the quickest path from a point on shore to a point in the lake, given that running speed is greater than swimming speed. Elvis, my Welsh Corgi, never had a calculus course. But when we played “fetch” at Lake Michigan, he appeared to choose paths close to the calculus answer. In this talk we form a mathematical model and reveal what was found when we experimentally tested this ability.